"Pardon Me" is a song by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Incubus An Incubus () is a demon, male demon in human form in folklore that seeks to have Sexuality in Christian demonology, sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. Parallels exist in many c ...

. Released on October 5, 1999, as the lead single from their third studio album ''

Make Yourself ''Make Yourself'' is the third studio album by American rock band Incubus. It was released on October 26, 1999, through Epic Records and Immortal Records. The album received double platinum certification by the RIAA and produced three charting ...

'', it was the band's first song to receive considerable radio airplay, reaching number three on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...

chart, number seven on the

Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by '' Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" ...

chart and number two on

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart.

Background and writing

In an interview, lead singer

Brandon Boyd Brandon Charles Boyd (born February 15, 1976) is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Incubus, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums. In addition to his work with Incubus, Boyd has released two solo alb ...

explained the song's origins, "I was in a bookstore, browsing through an old ''Life'' magazine, when I saw a picture of what the article called spontaneous human combustion. There were an old guy's legs and shoes, perfectly intact - then, right around his knee area, was just a pile of charred ashes. I was going through some turmoil in my life, both good and bad, and the image struck a chord, so I wrote a song about it." Boyd had recently returned from a tour to find out that his girlfriend of 7 years broke up with him, and that both his grandmother and a close friend of his had died. After seeing a picture in ''Life'' magazine of a man who had spontaneously combusted, he related the man's problems to his own.

Music video

The music video for "Pardon Me", directed by Steven Murashige, also gained considerable airplay. The video begins with

and his father Charles, at opposite ends of a hallway. As the two approach each other, Charles begins to regress in age and appearance, while Boyd begins to grow more elderly, becoming increasingly alike as they advance toward each other. When they meet, they pass through each other and continue on in opposite directions. Footage of the band members in white outfits (except for Boyd, who is shirtless) in a red-colored box are also shown, as is footage of the band members in red outfits being surrounded by businessmen and businesswomen. The video premiered on The Box the week ending on January 16, 2000.

Track listing

;US single # "Pardon Me" (Album Version) # "Crowded Elevator" # "Pardon Me" (Acoustic) # "Drive" (Acoustic) ;US promotional single # "Pardon Me" (Acoustic) ;UK single # "Pardon Me" (Album Version) # "I Miss You" (Acoustic) # "Crowded Elevator"

Personnel

Incubus *

– vocals * Mike Einziger – guitar * Dirk Lance – bass *

Chris Kilmore Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer José Pasillas while enrolled in Calabasas High School and later expanded to include ...

– turntables * José Pasillas – drums Production * Produced by Scott Litt

Charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 2000 singles Incubus (band) songs Song recordings produced by Scott Litt 1999 songs Epic Records singles Immortal Records singles Songs written by Brandon Boyd Songs written by Mike Einziger Songs written by Alex Katunich Songs written by Chris Kilmore Songs written by José Pasillas Nu metal songs Post-grunge songs